Mobile safety fall arrest cart

Abstract

A mobile safety fall arrest cart is provided. The mobile safety fall arrest cart is configured to move along an edge of an elevated surface as a worker works along the edge. The worker is connected to the cart with a safety line. If the worker falls from the elevated surface, the weight of the worker causes a spike assembly to move from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, a spike member engages the elevated surface so as to assist in arresting the worker's fall.

1 . A mobile safety fall arrest system comprising:
 a mobile structure that is configured to be moved along an elevated surface;   a spike assembly having a track and being coupled to and supported by said mobile structure, said spike assembly being movable along said track between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration,
 wherein said track is defined by raceways in a support wall of said spike assembly, 
 wherein said track includes a first end and a second end, 
 wherein the first end of said track defines the stowed configuration of the spike assembly, and 
 wherein the second end of said track defines the deployed configuration of the spike assembly; 
   a trigger assembly operatively coupled to said spike assembly, said trigger assembly being movable between a set configuration and a released configuration,
 wherein said trigger assembly retains said spike assembly in the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when said trigger assembly is in the released configuration; and 
   an elongate member selectively coupled to said trigger assembly, such that pulling the elongate member causes the trigger assembly to move from the set configuration to the released configuration, thereby allowing the spike assembly to move from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration,   wherein said elongate member is oriented at a first angle relative to said spike assembly when said spike assembly is in the stowed configuration,   wherein said elongate member is oriented at a second angle relative to said spike assembly when said spike assembly is in the deployed configuration, wherein the first angle is substantially parallel, and   wherein the second angle is relatively perpendicular.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 1 , wherein said spike assembly is displaced from the elevated surface when said spike assembly is in the stowed configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 2 , wherein said spike assembly includes a spike member, wherein said spike member extends from a distal end of a sleeve member, and wherein said spike member is configured to pierce the elevated surface as said spike assembly moves towards the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 3 , wherein said track includes a straight section extending from said second end of said track towards said first end of said track. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 4 , wherein said track includes a curved section extending from said straight section of said track to said first end of said track. 
     
     
         6 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 5 , wherein at least two support members extend from said sleeve member into said raceways of said track so as to control movement and orientation of said spike member as said spike assembly moves between the stowed and deployed configurations. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 3 , wherein said elongate member includes a first end coupled to a tether clip, said tether clip being configured to selectively couple to a first end of a tether such that when a worker is coupled to a second end of said tether, said elongate member causes said trigger assembly to move from the set configuration to the released configuration when the worker falls from the elevated surface. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 7 , wherein said elongate member is engaged with said trigger assembly when said trigger assembly is in the set configuration such that the tension in said elongate member biases said trigger assembly towards the released configuration. 
     
     
         9 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 8 , wherein a second end of said elongate member is coupled to said sleeve member of said spike assembly such that a weight of a worker causes the spike assembly to move from the stowed configuration towards the deployed configuration when the worker falls from the elevated surface, wherein the second end of said elongate member is coupled to said sleeve member of said spike assembly such that weight of the worker assist the spike member in piercing the elevated surface. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 9 , wherein said elongate member extends from said spike assembly such that tension in said elongate member biases said spike assembly towards the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 10 , wherein the tension in said elongate member is associated with a user falling from the elevated surface. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 11 , wherein said elongate member is disengaged from said trigger assembly when said trigger assembly is in the released configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile safety fall arrest system of  claim 3 , wherein said spike member is oriented at a first angle relative to said mobile structure when said spike assembly is in the deployed configuration and wherein said spike member is oriented at a second angle relative to said mobile cart when said spike assembly is in the stowed configuration, wherein the first angle is approximately forty-five (45) degrees, and wherein the second angle is less than forty-five (45) degrees. 
     
     
         14 . A method of arresting a fall, the method comprising:
 positioning a spike assembly of a mobile cart relative to an elevated surface while the spike assembly is in a stowed configuration such that a spike member of the spike assembly is displaced from the elevated surface; and   coupling a first end of an elongate member to a user such that when the user falls, the weight of the user creates tension in the elongate member,   coupling a second end of the elongate member to the spike assembly,   orientating the elongate member in a first position substantially parallel to the spike assembly,   using the tension created in the elongate member to exert the weight of the user on the spike assembly through the elongate member,   moving the elongate member from its first position to a second position, wherein moving the elongate member from its first position to the second position moves the spike assembly along a path defined by a track from its stowed configuration to a deployed configuration, wherein the elongate member's second position is relatively perpendicular to the spike assembly when the spike assembly is in the deployed configuration, and wherein the spike member is configured to pierce the elevated surface as the spike assembly moves towards the deployed configuration.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second position of the elongate member is relatively parallel with the elevated surface when the spike assembly is in the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the tension in the elongate member biases the spike assembly towards the deployed configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said track is defined by raceways in a support wall of said spike assembly, wherein said track includes a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of said track defines the stowed configuration of the spike assembly, and wherein the second end of said track defines the deployed configuration of the spike assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said track includes a straight section extending from said second end of said track towards said first end of said track, and wherein said track includes a curved section extending from said straight section of said track to said first end of said track. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said spike member is oriented at a first angle relative to said mobile cart when said spike assembly is in the deployed configuration and wherein said spike member is oriented at a second angle relative to said mobile cart when said spike assembly is in the stowed configuration, wherein the first angle is approximately forty-five (45) degrees, and wherein the second angle is less than forty-five (45) degrees. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising engaging the elongate member with a trigger assembly such that the tension in the elongate member causes the trigger assembly to move away from a set configuration prior to the tension in the elongate member biasing the spike assembly towards the deployed configuration, and wherein the elongate member is disengaged from the trigger assembly when the trigger assembly is in a released configuration.